By Stephen 18
January 20 2005

With so many promotions to his name, it could be argued that Dave Bassett has the Midas touch. This latest "Harry" in the news may well help Dennis Wise and Ray Wilkins to propel Millwall to the Premiership. In one form or another, everybody seems to have an opinion on Harrys at the moment.
The name assertively means 'Ruler of the Home', yet many are no longer sure if the billing is all it has cracked up to be.

On a national level, it would be a surprise of epic proportions if Prince Harry were the ruler of his particular home at present, given the likely fury directed at him from his family for wearing a Nazi swastika on a night out last week.

While at Millwall, 'Arry's Bar has ruled the roost at the Den for a number of years now, only for it to close down at the tail end of last year - much to the concern of many teamcard members.

With it re-opening this Saturday on a trial basis, the jury is still out on whether the memory of the late Harry Cripps will continue to rule Millwall's home as far as drinking is concerned.

Then along comes Dave 'Harry' Bassett into the fold and suddenly you have another discussion on the merits of Harry being third in line to ruling the throne.
On the same Thursday that the royal scandal broke, Bassett was announced as Millwall's new part-time coach.

He will join manager Dennis Wise and his assistant Ray Wilkins on the coaching staff twice a week and on matchdays.

Wise is vehement in his desire to carrying on playing until the end of the season, and says that Bassett's experience in helping five teams gain promotion to the top flight will give him some breathing space as he attempts to overcome a mysterious back problem.

His track record is certainly impressive. Having taken over at Wimbledon in 1981, Bassett led the south London club from the old fourth division to third place in the first division in the space of six years.

His midas touch in achieving promotion also worked at Sheffield United and Crystal Palace, before leading Nottingham Forest to the Premier League in 1998.
And after grooming Micky Adams to take over the reins at Leicester in 2002, he assisted the now departed East Midlanders' boss in reaching the Premiership a year later.

So on paper it looks like a good move for Millwall, but where will Bassett fit in?
Wise feels that Bassett can help his side both technically and defensively.

The Lions boss is a well-known advocate of concentrating on the backline before any other area of the pitch, but a record of conceding just 27 goals in 29 matches would suggest that he has already developed a proficient enough defence.

But if Wise feels Bassett can provide something additional to make Millwall an even meaner proposition, he would have been a fool not to have him on board when the 60-year-old became available.

Yet the technical aspect of Wise's decision to bring Bassett in provokes more of a talking point.

Wise has had one of the most all-round footballing educations imaginable - and now he has two coaches amalgamating virtually everything he has learnt in almost two decades of professional football.

As a youngster under Bassett and Bobby Gould at Wimbledon, he played an integral part of a side that based their game on speed, aggression and long balls.

By the time he had played his last Premiership game however, Wise had become the most successful captain in the history of a Chelsea that had undertaken a continental revolution centred on possession, patience and poise.

Wilkins is himself a former Stamford Bridge player and coach, and alongside his time in Italy, it has ensured his favoured style is similar to what Wise experienced in the latter stages of his top-level playing career.

Given Bassett's louder demeanour and direct football background, you would struggle to find a starker contrast in methods.

The key to success is how the trio are to compliment each other.

Bassett observed Saturday's game in the company of chairman Theo Paphitis at the City Ground director's box, and kept in regular contact with Wise by the aid of a mobile phone.

As long as Wise has devised a strategy where both coaches are fully aware of the type of game he wants them to preach, and there is clarity between the exact scope of their responsibilities, then who is to say it cannot work.

After all, at the time of the appointment of Wise and Wilkins as the Millwall management team, it was written off in some quarters for having two personalities that were so contrary.

So will Harry help Wise rule the throne in a higher division or will it lead to a reign of terror?

Time will tell, but what is not in doubt is that the appointment has added yet more intrigue to a roller coaster ride of a season.